Thursday, March 30, 2017

On a previous episode, the Bates men poured concrete for
their basketball court, but they haven’t yet put up the basketball goal. Lawson
hollers out instructions as everyone attempts to put the goal together.The project takes them two days to complete.

“The good thing is about Lawson’s leadership,” Zach states. “He
never really messes that much up because even though he’s telling everybody all
the wrong things to do, nobody pays him any attention.”

On another day, Gil and Kelly take Carlin and Josie to have
their wisdom teeth extracted. Carlin’s reaction to the anesthesia is very entertaining.
“[Carlin] was like Miss Invincible,” says Gil.

“My head was so mis-combobulated up there,” says Carlin. “I
couldn’t think straight.” Carlin is very much “out of it” and won’t stop talking, so
Gil firmly tells her to settle down. She breaks down crying.

Josie, on the other hand, is very tired and in a lot of
pain. “Josie, if you said anything to her, she would just bust out crying, and
Carlin, if you didn’t want to have a party with her, she would bust out crying,”
says Katie. “But they both did amazing.”

At the end of the episode, Kelly, Lawson, Trace, Tori, and Carlin head over to
Cracker Barrel to pick up dinner for the entire family. The Paines and little
Bates family also come over. “Enjoy this roast while you can because mine don’t
taste this good,” Kelly jokingly tells the family.

Gil and Kelly are headed to Australia and have plans to
divide up the little kids among the older married ones while they are gone.

“I think it’s really a special time any time the family gets
together and just sits at the table and has dinner together,” says Erin.

It's Bates night! Tune in to UP for an all-new episode. Scroll down for show times, snapshots, and one last promo video from tonight's episode. T

Have you heard that the show is coming back for a sixth season in June,
with a surprise wedding to air during the June 1st premiere? Click here to read the press release.

Thursday, March 30, 20178pm ET/7pm CT: Bike Racks, Barbers & Big Duets!8:30pm ET/7:30pm CT: Mass-a-somethin'9pm ET/8pm CT: Working Up An Appetite (NEW!)It's another busy day at the Bates house! The family is in the home stretch when it comes to completing their Basketball court. It's finally time to install the goal, but will the boys be able to follow instructions properly, or will their hoop dreams be put on hold? Meanwhile, Carlin and Josie experience a pain-filled escapade when they get their wisdom teeth pulled out. Later, the family enjoys some comfort food and gives thanks for being back in their house since the fire, before they head out for church.10pm ET/9pm CT: Working Up An Appetite

Wednesday, March 29, 2017

Season five of Bringing Up Bates is still underway, and UP just announced that the show has been renewed for a sixth season, slated to premiere on June 1st at 9pm ET/8pm CT. The network has ordered 13 all-new episodes. Who's excited??

Check out the press release:

The new season begins with a wedding to kick off UP’s “Summer of Love”

“With 19 kids (plus spouses!) and six grandkids, each day brings new opportunities and challenges chock-full of life’s emotional and humorous moments,” said Timothy Kuryak, senior vice president, unscripted development and production, UP. “This summer will be no different as the ever-growing family continues to pursue new activities, dreams, and relationships. Everything is multiplied in the Bates household!”

In the new season of Bringing Up Bates, it’s a summer of love for the family. From Carlin’s blooming relationship (will it become a courtship?) to Tori’s deepening bond with Bobby (will it end in a proposal?) to someone getting married in the premiere (who will it be?), love is blooming for the Bates. And lately, their simple rural lifestyle in Tennessee is in a flurry of transitions, as this remarkable and ever-expanding family continues to navigate life’s trials and triumphs.

Erin and Chad Paine get pygmy goats, Jeb and Judson take Martial Arts classes, and Jackson earns his learner’s permit. Meanwhile, Bobby graduates from college and contemplates moving from Florida to Tennessee to be closer to Tori, and Nathan pursues his dream to be a pilot instructor.

Led by devoted father Gil and his loving wife Kelly Jo, the Bates do everything in bulk while staying true to their values and rules for the family.

This week on Bringing Up Bates, both Carlin Bates and Josie Bates have their wisdom teeth extracted. Let's just say that the anesthesia has a very entertaining effect on Carlin. This video is sure to make you laugh (and maybe feel a little sorry for Carlin, too). As you'll see tomorrow on the show, Josie's reaction to the medication is very different.

Tuesday, March 28, 2017

How do Gil and Kelly Bates afford braces for their super-sized family? As you'll hear in the video below, it's not easy. So far, eight of the Bates children have had them. To avoid becoming bogged down by orthodontist bills, the parents only allow a few to be in braces at a time. Have you or your kids had orthodontic work?

Monday, March 27, 2017

As promised in our last post, we have some neat info to share about Evan Stewart, Carlin Bates' boyfriend. He lives in Nashville, Tennessee, and is the second youngest of six children (four girls and two boys). Since he was young, Evan and his parents and siblings have traveled as a family gospel band called His Own. Here is a video of the siblings performing a song:

Although they call each other boyfriend and girlfriend, Carlin shared on Thursday's episode that she and Evan are not yet in a courtship. In Bates terms, there is an unofficial period before courtship, during which a couple often refers to each other as boyfriend and girlfriend.

For Tori Bates and Bobby Smith, exactly one year passed between the time they started pursuing a relationship and the time Bobby asked Tori to officially start a courtship.

Saturday, March 25, 2017

Just weeks before their big ski trip (shown on Thursday's episode of Bringing Up Bates) the Bates lost all their winter clothing in a fire. But in true Bates fashion, they hit the thrift stores and managed to replace it all. In the video below, you'll learn a family secret that involves a clever use for kitchen garbage bags.

Friday, March 24, 2017

Josie Bates, who turns 18 in August, is currently in cosmetology school. Did you know that she is the only Bates with naturally curly hair? When you see her with straight hair, it is because she has straightened it.

Both Carlin and Josie recently made major changes to their hair. These photos were taken just a couple months ago:

Josie Bates

Carlin Bates

And here they are now, with their hair chopped off. The photos aren't that great, but you will see more of the girls' new hairstyles in the future. :)

Thursday, March 23, 2017

At a condo at Massanutten Resort in Virginia, the Bates are
rushing to get ready for their ski lessons. Gil is the only family member who
has been skiing, so the rest of the clan is in for an adventure.

Kelly insists that the little kids wear multiple layers
under their snowsuits. “You’re going to be hot as a firecracker on July the 4th,”
Gil tells Jeb.

Just before everyone heads out the door, Kelly receives a text from Michael informing her that a mother and her daughter had fallen off a chairlift and
died the week before. The mom of 19 is very nervous for her children’s safety.

Renting skis and snowboards takes close to an hour. Most of
the family takes ski lessons, but the older boys elect to try snowboarding.

Tori’s boyfriend, Bobby Smith, joins the family on the
slopes, as does Carlin’s “special friend,” Evan. Carlin met Evan and his family
about five years ago, but it has only been a few months since the pair really started talking. (They
reconnected at a ladies banquet, where Evan was serving.) “Yes we like each other,” says Carlin. “We’re
trying to get to know each other, but there’s no official thing right now.”

Trace’s friend, Campbell Roberts, also comes along. At the
end of the trip, she insists that Trace did great.

When it comes time for everyone to ride the chairlift, Kelly
is a nervous Nelly. They all make it out alive, although Kelly has the attendant
at the top stop the lift so she can get off slowly.

Nathan arrives that evening. He has been at flight school in Mississippi, taking tests to earn his commercial pilot’s license.

The next morning, the family goes tubing, another great
adventure. “I hurt my heinie” says Judson.

That afternoon, Kelly teaches Nathan everything she learned
in ski school. “If you think you’re going to hit somebody, fall,” she tells her
son. “I got a lot of practice doing that yesterday.”

Nathan picks it up quickly. “She’s actually an incredible
teacher,” he says. “A mother that has spent her entire life teaching children
things. I would rather have nobody else give me a lesson than my mom.”

Everyone is sad when it comes time to head home. “I think skiing is a great family experience,” says Erin.

“I’m really impressed,” says Gil. “My wife was the funnest
and the funniest and the most heroic. She didn’t give up. She didn’t quit. She
even taught lessons.”

If you're a skier, you'll enjoy watching the Bates take on the slopes at Massanutten Resort on tonight's episode, and if you're not, you'll be eager to give it a try. Tune in to UP at 9pm ET/8pm CT for Bringing Up Bates "Mass-a-somethin.'" Scroll down to view snapshots and a promo video.

Although Kelly is a nervous Nelly and is concerned for everyone's safety, she decides to give skiing a try. (She and Gil are in white and dark green in the photo below.)

Some of the kids invite friends of the opposite gender. Carlin and her "special friend," Evan, sure do make a cute couple!

Bobby Smith, Tori's boyfriend, also comes along.

Everyone is surprised at how well the little Bates do after a short lesson.

And what's a day on the slopes without sampling the snow?

The older boys all elect to try snowboarding, while everyone else goes skiing.

During a break, the family FaceTimes with Alyssa, John, and Allie Webster, who are looking forward to the arrival of Lexi Mae Webster in just a few weeks.

Wednesday, March 22, 2017

"It was crazy watching my little siblings learn how to ski. Some of them were just really good at it."-Erin Bates Paine

Tomorrow on Bringing Up Bates, watch the Bates clan take on the slopes at Massanutten Resort in Virginia. It's their first time on skis, but they end up picking it up very quickly. Check out the sneak peek clip below.

Tuesday, March 21, 2017

Yesterday was Kaci Lynn Bates' nine-month milestone! It was also the first day of spring, and the Bates enjoyed temperatures in the mid-60s in East Tennessee.

Kaci is just three months away from her first birthday. Zach and Whitney Bates announced their second pregnancy at son Bradley Bates' first birthday party. Do you think their third child will be on the way soon?

This weekend, Brandon surprised Michael with a surprise trip to the East Coast to relive their engagement moments. They visited the cherry blossoms, which started blooming just in time for their arrival.

Michael and Brandon Keilen in D.C., March 2017

They also stopped by the exact spot where Brandon proposed in April 2015.

Michaela Bates Keilen and Brandon Keilen, March 2017

If you have been following our blog for a couple years, you will remember these candid photos from the proposal.

The Bates are embarking on what could be their biggest adventure yet (video below). This super-sized family that has never been skiing is taking on the slopes at Massanuten Resort in Virginia!

Their group quickly grows when the older kids invite friends who live nearby. Tori Bates' boyfriend, Bobby Smith, also comes along, as does Carlin's friend, Evan. For those who have been asking if Carlin Bates is in a courtship, nothing has been announced, but when/if it is, we will post the announcement to our blog.

Saturday, March 18, 2017

What's a doohickey? Well that's easy; a doohickey is a thingamabob! See how the Bates define it in the Southern Speak video below. Have you ever heard the word doohickey, or any of the other terms mentioned in the clip?

Thursday, March 16, 2017

Are you ready for a flood of cuteness? Twenty-three-month-old Allie Jane Webster and seven-week-old Lexi Mae Webster are as cute as can be, and you can definitely tell they are sisters. Hear from them in the two clips below.

This particular video format cannot be viewed on all smart phones, so if you are unable to play it, head to a desktop or laptop computer.

Lawson and Nathan head to Mount Airy, North Carolina, to
prepare for Lawson’s show. Mount Airy is Andy Griffith’s hometown and
considered to be the inspiration for the Mayberry of The Andy Griffith Show.

Lawson is invited to be a guest on a local radio program. “Live
anything is really something I’ve really been trying to adjust to and get
better at,” he admits. “When it’s life…you can’t take it back. You can’t hit the
edit button.”

Nathan and Lawson take a tour of the town in an old squad
car. They also visit a replica of Andy Griffith’s office.

Back at home, Gil and the other boys set out to turn a big
log into a bike rack. Bikes are constantly left out in the Bates’ yard, and
they are often run over.

Everyone is extremely impressed by the finished product, and
they are equally as impressed that the Bates started and finished a project in
the same day.

“That was the most genius thing I have ever seen,” says
Tori.

When the rest of the family makes it to Mount Airy, it’s
crunch time. Emily Ann Roberts arrives, and the sound check begins. Fans begin
lining up outside the historic Earle Theatre.

“I think Lawson’s stage presence has just improved so much,”
says Nathan. “It’s remarkable how much better Lawson has become.

Lawson is pleased with the way the evening turns out. “Overall,
I think the concert was a blast,” he says.

Bringing Up Bates "Bike Racks, Barbers & Big Duets!" (episode 11 of season five) premieres tonight at 9pm ET/8pm CT and 10pm ET/9pm CT on UP. Tune in at 8pm ET and 8:30pm ET for reruns of "Fire Trucks and Diaper Dumps" and "Loads of Laundry and Lots of Lessons." See our Showtimes page for more details.

On this evening's show, Lawson Bates, accompanied by Nathan Bates, heads to Mount Airy, North Carolina, to prepare for a show at the historic Earle Theatre. He starts of with an on-air interview at a local radio station.

The Bates are huge fans of The Andy Griffith Show, so the guys spend the day visiting iconic Mayberry sites from the beloved TV series.

The rest of the Bates family arrives as Lawson and Nathan are wrapping up their squad car tour of the town.